Tokyo: Oreimo

Urushihara Ryuka.

"So cute! No matter how many times I see it, I'll still find it adorable."

If there were such a cute girl in real life, Ling Nai would probably be unable to resist getting close to her.

Moreover, the voice actress she chose has a very sweet voice, which is the type she likes.

"That guy did listen to my opinion, didn't he?"

A satisfied expression appeared on Ling Nai's face.

During the creation of "Steins Gates", when she was responsible for drawing the character illustrations, she was most interested in this character dressed as a shrine maiden among the many female characters.

The red and white shrine maiden outfit was a design that she put a lot of effort into drawing, and it was only after Ryosuke corrected her art style that the final version was completed.

It's the kind of satisfaction, even pride, that comes from finishing a drawing.

At the time, I specifically made a request to Ryosuke, saying that if it was a voice actor, it had to be a well-known voice actor in the industry.

She could recognize the voice immediately: 'Nanako Matsui'.

This request was made when FSN was being developed, but it was rejected at that time due to poor economic conditions.

But this time Ryosuke fulfilled her expectations.

"I like her so much, it's the kind of liking that makes me want to push her down!"

Ling Nai's face revealed a restless expression.

"I've decided, I'll make her my first playthrough target!"

.....

"Achoo!"

Ryosuke was working on the NAME for "Is This a Zombie?" in his bedroom when he suddenly couldn't help but sneeze.

"No way, it's already spring, isn't it?"

Even though it's the change of seasons, I hope I won't catch a cold again.

Over the past two years, he has caught colds quite frequently, almost every time the seasons change.

He guessed that it was most likely caused by irregular work and rest schedules and lack of exercise, and probably... definitely not because he was cursed.

After carefully examining the area, Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief.

This sneezing doesn't seem to be caused by a cold, because there was no nasal congestion and breathing was quite smooth.

So... it was an 'unnatural sneeze'?

Is someone talking about me?

Ryosuke twitched the corner of his mouth.

He opened the door and walked into the hallway. Through the door, he could hear Ling Nai laughing in a series of sounds that resembled a 'pervert'.

You could vaguely hear her muttering something like 'Ryuka-chan'.

Ryosuke suddenly had a feeling that a 'death omen' was flashing before his eyes.

Chapter 209 But, it's a boy.

Early the next morning.

Ryosuke arrived at the dining table and noticed, for the first time in a long time, that Ayano had dark circles under her eyes.

It seems like the last time I stayed up all night was when I was playing White Album 2, right?

Has this guy not slept all night?

As soon as she sat down at the table, a sharp gaze swept over her, the girl's eyes like those of someone eyeing prey.

"Hey."

"?"

Looking at the expression on the other person's face, Ryosuke felt a toothache.

"What time are you going to stop playing?"

Three o'clock.

Ling squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

In other words, this guy played from around 10 p.m. last night until 3 a.m. this morning, and probably didn't even go to the toilet more than a few times in between.

"Urushihara Ryuka".

When Ling Nai uttered that name, her voice sounded like a cool breeze squeezed out from between her teeth.

Ryosuke paused, his hand, which was spreading jam on the toast, stopped in mid-air.

"That 'girl' in the shrine maiden outfit."

Ling Nai narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in her golden pupils.

"Last night, I seriously set her as my first playthrough target."

"....Um."

"Because she's cute."

"....Um."

"Her voice is also very sweet."

"....Um."

"I drew the illustration for the shrine maiden outfit myself. I put a lot of thought into it and revised it many times. When I finalized the design, I even showed it to you, and you said it was very good."

"...I did say that."

Indeed, this work continues Rumiko Takashiro's consistently high-quality creative standards; it's so good that you can like it just by looking at the character illustrations.

Ryosuke believes it surpasses the original work.

After receiving approval from the screenwriter, Ling Nai continued:

"Then I played happily all night, thinking that I must be the first to win her over. I even temporarily put aside the storylines of Makise Kurisu and Mayuri, and focused on the route of Urushibara Ruka."

"Then what?"

Ling Nai took a deep breath, placed her hands on the dining table, leaned forward, and looked like a cat with its fur standing on end.

So... what does 'but it's a boy' mean?

Ryosuke didn't say anything.

"Explain this to me properly, but what does 'it's a boy' mean?!"

Ling Nai spoke slowly and deliberately, revealing her canine teeth at the corner of her mouth, as if she were about to pounce on him and bite him at the slightest provocation.

"...because he is indeed a man."

The air on the table froze for about three seconds.

"You rascal..."

Ling Nai pointed her finger at Ryosuke's nose, her fingertip trembling slightly. If Mieko hadn't been at home, she probably wouldn't have been able to control herself and would have pounced on Ryosuke and given him a good kiss.

Are you kidding me?

Did she waste half her evening on something like this?

Even if a male character looks exactly like a woman, he still can't be won over, right?

No wonder that no matter how many CGs she unlocked, the plot always returned to the main storyline, no matter how far she progressed.

"It was intentional, wasn't it?!"

Ryosuke put the jam-smeared toast back on the plate, looked up, met his sister's fiery eyes, and gave a forced smile.

"I didn't deliberately hide it."

"Then you should have told me in advance!"

"Telling you in advance would be spoiling the plot, wouldn't it?"

Ryosuke chuckled. If that were the case, the current scene would just repeat itself.

Compared to spoilers, seeing the younger sister break down right now is quite interesting.

"In order to win her over, I adjusted many options over and over again. Every time she appeared, I watched the plot carefully and didn't want to skip a single line."

"That 'but he's a guy' scene, I thought it was a joke, but it turns out it's real! What were you thinking?!"

"That's necessary for the plot."

"What kind of plot needs a man dressed up as a cute girl?!"

Ling Nai plopped back into the chair, put her hands behind her head, and her long golden hair swayed back and forth with the movement, like a clump of wheat ears ruffled by the wind.

"The thought that I would be so enthusiastic about pursuing a character that is impossible to pursue makes me feel like an idiot."

The girl gritted her teeth, her face showing a 'you're dead' expression.

Ryosuke could easily imagine that after breakfast, when he returned to his room, this guy might 'torture' him.

Catching a glimpse of Ling Nai's little tiger tooth peeking out from the corner of her mouth, her shoulder began to ache slightly.

"I don't think I ever said that Ruka Urushihara was an unromanceable character, did I? If that's the case, then there's no point in designing this character."

Ryosuke offered an explanation.

Regardless, staying alive is the most important thing.

Although the ending of the 'Ryuko' route is somewhat unsettling, at least a few minor spoilers can ensure that Ling Nai won't cause him any trouble for the time being.

"What kind of statement is that? It's disgusting!"

Ling Nai pursed her lips, a look of disgust on her face.

"No matter how cute he is, he's still a man. Just thinking about making those kinds of intimate gestures makes me feel physically uncomfortable."

"Shouldn't it be that as long as someone is cute, you can make a move on them, even if they're a boy?"